My Creativity Flexes Its Muscles

This Sunday my son and I put the finishing touches on his new quilt. This is a partial picture of it on the frame ready to be tied.

Here's how it is. This particular son is autistic. Part of this means that he is very picky about a lot of things and grows extremely attached to the items he deems "acceptable". Another part means that he has a set of nervous habits that he uses as comfort measures. One of those happens to be chewing on his clothes. His collars particularly. He has over come most of this and now only chews the sleeves which are less noticeable.

When you combine all these aspects of my wonder boy you have a problem when it comes to trying to throw out the clothing he's ruined. Especially his shirts. This quilt was the result of that. Over the past two years I've had him set aside those shirts he can not wear any more but doesn't want to part with. I gave him a special saving place for them. Then last month I talked him into helping me make himself a new blanket with them. (Another of his attachments)

He was skeptical at first when he saw me pull out the scissors and begin studying his clothing, but when I handed the scissors he was all for it. He help me cut out all his shirt fronts. He helped me choose fabrics for in between each and the backing. He placed them where he wanted them on the quilt. His dad and I constructed the actual quilt over two nights, then he helped me tie it.

It stays with him whenever he's in the house. He says it works great and he loves looking at his favorite stuff and his handy work.

Ten points for the mommy. It's not often my brain comes up with something that actually works so I'm pretty proud of my son's t-shirt quilt.